What To Wear With Underwear: Wedding Dressing With Wonderbra

For most of us, shimmying into our first crop top and beaming with pride that we’d finally been initiated into the big girls bra club was a big moment. Exactly when our Mum’s would finally buckle and submit to our pleas of yessss omg Mum I do need a bra please just a Tammy Girl one ugh you’re the worst was uncertain, but the fact that we would eventually be wearing a bra was a given. It’s what girls did. It’s what girls do.

More and more women are deciding to go bra free, at least during the times when they feel comfortable to do so. Instead of bras being a necessity, they’ve become a choice, and if we decide we want to swing loose and fancy free? So be it. If we want to wear something comfortable, sexy and supportive? That’s our prerogative.

I’ve teamed up with Wonderbra to discuss all things bra a little further, and to also style up an outfit for one of those situations where we might feel more comfortable wearing a bra – a wedding!

Bag: Charles & Keith

Day-to-day, I mostly choose to go bra free. Comfort is always my main priority (that and food, and funnily enough to two go hand in hand), so if I’m just sitting at my desk or popping out to get a coffee, then I let the ladies hang free. I do acknowledge that it’s easy for me to fly the flag for bralessness, however; I work for myself and by myself, from the comfort of my home and with admittedly petite bosoms. Just because I don’t think anyone should feel like they must wear a bra, doesn’t mean I don’t understand why plenty of us do. Sometimes the occasion calls for a bit of extra support, and in those situations (for me, it’s visiting my grandparents or heading into a professional client meeting) it’s simply reassuring to know that my nipples won’t be standing to attention and that the girls won’t be jumping for joy anytime I dare to cough.

The occasion to top all occasions - a wedding - may well fall into this category. If you’re someone who would prefer to keep the girls holstered (for the sacred vows at least), then opting for a comfortable piece is most important. You’re going to be up, down, in, out, waiting, drinking and probably posing until you really couldn’t care less what the official wedding hashtag is, so feeling like you can move freely without being pinched or having a boob pop out will serve you well.

Something I’ve learned since being more selective about when and where I wear a bra is how important quality of product is. It’s so easy to pick up the size you think you are in the style you think you like, because we’re all in a rush and we can probably guesstimate and yeah okay this isn’t normally my colour *cough*or my size*cough* but it’s okay, right? Probably not. Investing in classic styles that fit the curves of your body and glide seamlessly under clothes will provide you with the pieces which you’ll find yourself going back to time and time again. You know, the ones you wear for far too long and then mourn when they’re relegated to the washing machine for a soak? THOSE pieces.

Anyway, back to wedding guest dressing. Comfort, of course, is key, but the other thing to consider is the style of bra and how this will relate to what you’re wearing. If you’re going for something like a cami dress, then a strapless bra will offer up support but keep that 90s-esque-sexy-strap vibe very much alive and kicking. Low in the front? Plunge bra. (Wonderbra offers both strapless & plunge solutions.) Mostly covered up, like moi? Then you’re spoiled for choice, but my personal preference is for a balconette bra. I find the straps really comfortable and I like the extra lift in the front without it being too ‘push-up’, something which I find can be a little overwhelming for my vertically-challenged frame.

Wonderbra has become a household name for their much-loved range of bras, and in teaming up with them to show my kind of wedding guest outfit and how I’d work my underwear around that, they wanted to shoot a few Q&A questions my way:

What are your favourite fashion trends this year to take inspiration from for a wedding guest look? I feel like there has been a real boho revival of late but in a much more sleek and refined way. I’m thinking lots of silky hair ties, longer length dresses and more casual footwear for a polished yet relaxed look. I’m not a heels kind of girl so luxe-sliders, kitten heels or chunky mules are my footwear of fancy.

It’s hard to know what to wear for a wedding (or for any other day as a matter of fact), how do you start off deciding on the perfect outfit? Think about what makes you feel good. I know I feel myself in a pair of trousers and a blazer, but often it’s a dress which makes me feel more special just because it’s a little out the ordinary for me. That’s not to say you should break with convention and go totally wild (unless you want to, of course!), but thinking back to the last outfit that really made you feel confident is a good indicator of the direction you should go in. Don’t necessarily play it safe, but make sure you’re comfortable in whatever you’re wearing.

We believe that wearing the right lingerie underneath is just as important as what you wear over the top! Which shape do you recommend? Comfort is always most important for me. Most days I don’t wear a bra simply because I feel like I don’t need to, but when it comes to events or occasions where a little extra support can help (or possibly make you feel a little less self-conscious), then I think you should always find the shape which works best for you personally. I like wearing simple styles with just a little support from the underwire because that’s what I feel most at home in, but I know for my friends who are a little more well-endowed in the boob department, the extra support is necessary to making them feel comfortable.

What are your favourite Wonderbra styles and why? Personally, I love a balconette style. I don’t like too much ‘push up’ because I’m quite petite and I find this can be a little overbearing, so a simple underwired number provides support whilst still being comfortable and feeling natural. The Refined Glamour balconette style I’m wearing here fits the bill perfectly; the top and back strap are a little thicker which I find sits more comfortably on the skin, and although this is a push-up style, the padding isn’t too excessive so you benefit from a little boost which still looks natural. Black lace is also an absolute classic.

What was your worst ever fashion faux pas? Looking back, I’ve undoubtedly made some extremely questionable fashion decisions, but I don’t really believe in ‘faux pas’. Style changes and develops as we change and develop, so it’s only natural that we’ll look back at certain points and wonder what the heck we were thinking. I look back on outfits from last week and find myself thinking exactly that. It’s all an experiment – we’re just trying things out.